CRH

Dycom Industries Inc. DY reported strong results for the second quarter of fiscal 2027 (ended Aug. 1, 2026). Adjusted earnings and contract revenues surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate and grew year over year.The quarter benefited from robust fiber-to-the-home programs, long-haul and middle-mile infrastructure builds and growing maintenance and operations services. Backlog reached a record level, supporting strong multi-year visibility. However, Communications profitability faced pressure from investments to scale operations, deferred wireless projects and higher year-over-year fuel costs.DY stock tumbled 7.1% during the pre-market trading session today. Dycom reported adjusted earnings per share of $5.29, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.62 by 14.5%. In the year-ago quarter, the company recorded adjusted earnings of $3.64 per share. Dycom Industries, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Dycom Industries, Inc. Quote Contract revenues of $2.01 billion surpassed the consensus estimate of $1.97 billion by 1.7% and increased 45.6% year over year. AT&T and Verizon each accounted for more than 10% of total revenues during the quarter. Communications revenues increased 16.7% year over year to $1.61 billion, driven by robust fiber-to-the-home programs, increased long-haul and middle-mile fiber builds, and growing maintenance and operations services. Adjusted EBITDA rose 6.2% to $218.3 million. However, the margin contracted 134 basis points to 13.6% due to investments to scale operations, deferred wireless activity and higher fuel costs. Building Systems generated contract revenues of $397.5 million. Adjusted EBITDA was $97.2 million, with a margin of 24.5%, supported by strong execution, operating leverage and favorable changes in project cost estimates and scope. National Technology Integrators, acquired during the quarter, contributed about $22.9 million in revenues. Of the total backlog, $6.472 billion is expected to be completed during the next 12 months. Communications backlog totaled $10.983 billion, including $5.362 billion for the next 12 months, while Building Systems backlog stood at $1.259 billion, with $1.11 billion scheduled within a year.DY reported a 1.4-times organic book-to-bill ratio for the first half of fiscal 2027. Recent project awards continued to diversify backlog across customers, demand drivers and geographies, while contracted backlog for long-haul, middle-mile and inside-the-fence fiber infrastructure builds exceeded $1 billion. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA increased 53.5% year over year to $315.5 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 81 basis points to 15.7%. Adjusted net income rose 51.1% to $160.7 million, while GAAP net income increased 18.6% to $115.6 million.Costs of earned revenues, excluding depreciation and amortization, increased to $1.565 billion from $1.07 billion. General and administrative expenses rose to $132.9 million from $106.8 million, while depreciation and amortization increased to $115.6 million from $60.9 million. Operating cash flow increased to $103.7 million from $57.4 million a year ago, while free cash flow rose to $37.9 million from $18.4 million. Days sales outstanding improved to 101 from 108, indicating a shorter collection cycle than in the prior-year quarter.As of Aug. 1, 2026, Dycom had cash and equivalents of $340.1 million compared with $709.2 million at the end of fiscal 2026. Long-term debt was $2.79 billion compared with $2.81 billion at the end of fiscal 2026. Liquidity stood at $1.09 billion, after the company used $225.5 million of cash for acquisitions during the quarter. DY expects contract revenues between $1.90 billion and $1.98 billion for the third quarter of fiscal 2027. The company projects adjusted EBITDA in the range of $281 million to $302 million.Adjusted earnings, excluding amortization expense, are expected between $4.33 and $4.79 per share. The guidance covers the quarter ending Oct. 31, 2026. Dycom raised its fiscal 2027 contract revenue outlook to $7.48-$7.66 billion from the previous guidance of $7.38-$7.65 billion. Building Systems revenues are now projected at $1.58-$1.65 billion, up from the prior range of $1.35-$1.45 billion, reflecting higher expected revenues from Power Solutions and contributions from National Technology Integrators. Conversely, the Communications revenue outlook was lowered to $5.90-$6.01 billion from $6.03-$6.20 billion. The Communications outlook incorporates the deferral of approximately $150 million of wireless program revenues into fiscal 2028, with overall program scope unchanged. Dycom expects consolidated adjusted EBITDA margin to increase for the year. Building Systems adjusted EBITDA margin is projected in the high-teens to low-twenties range for the remainder of fiscal 2027. Dycom currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MLM reported outstanding second-quarter 2026 results, wherein adjusted earnings (from continuing operations) and revenues topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate and increased year over year.Martin Marietta’s results benefited from strong organic performance and contributions from acquisitions. Aggregate shipments increased 17% to a record 61.6 million tons, supported by infrastructure and heavy nonresidential demand. Heavy nonresidential demand also benefits from data center, power-generation and warehouse construction. Martin Marietta raised its 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $7.2-$7.4 billion, with a midpoint of $7.3 billion.CRH plc CRH reported exceptional second-quarter 2026 financial results with adjusted earnings and total revenues topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate and growing year over year. Positive pricing, favorable demand and acquisition contributions supported the quarterly growth. CRH completed 11 acquisitions during the quarter for $1.1 billion.The company reaffirmed 2026 net income guidance of $3.9-$4.1 billion, adjusted EBITDA guidance of $8.1-$8.5 billion and earnings guidance of $5.60-$6.05 per share. CRH expects public infrastructure spending and reindustrialization activity to support demand, while new-build residential conditions remain subdued.Quanta Services, Inc. PWR reported better-than-expected second-quarter 2026 results, with adjusted earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company’s performance benefited from strong demand for grid, generation and data-center infrastructure, broader self-perform capabilities, efficient resource utilization and solid execution across both segments.Quanta increased its 2026 revenue forecast to $39.3-$39.7 billion, representing a $4.55 billion increase at the midpoint from its prior outlook. Adjusted earnings are now projected to be in the range of $16.45-$16.95 per share, while adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $4.09 billion and $4.21 billion. Free cash flow is forecast to be in the $2-$2.5 billion range. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Dycom Industries, Inc. (DY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) : Free Stock Analysis Report CRH PLC (CRH) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Dycom Industries, Inc. DY is scheduled to report its second-quarter fiscal 2027 results on Aug. 26, before the opening bell.In the last reported quarter, the company’s adjusted earnings and contract revenues topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 61.9% and 18%, respectively. On a year-over-year basis, both metrics grew 84.9% and 56.1%, respectively.Dycom’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average of 25%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal second-quarter earnings per share (EPS) has moved down to $4.62 from $4.64 over the past 30 days. However, the revised estimate indicates 38.7% year-over-year growth.The consensus estimate for contract revenues is pegged at $1.97 billion, indicating a 43.2% year-over-year rise from $1.38 billion. Dycom Industries, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Dycom Industries, Inc. Quote RevenuesDycom’s top-line performance in the fiscal second quarter is expected to have benefited from surging digital infrastructure demand, mainly tied to Artificial Intelligence and hyperscale computing. This is likely because telecom operators and technology firms are accelerating network upgrades. Moreover, the company is expected to have witnessed increased activity for fiber-to-the-home deployments, long-haul and middle-mile fiber infrastructure builds and large data center campuses. Moreover, the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, offering to be a multiyear catalyst amid strong project activity, is likely to have added to the quarter’s top-line growth.Notably, the acquisition of Power Solutions, LLC, under the Building Systems segment, is expected to have aided this segment’s contributions in the quarter, as it strengthens DY’s position in data center infrastructure. For the fiscal second quarter, Dycom expects contract revenues between $1.94 billion and $2.01 billion.For the fiscal second quarter, our Zacks model expects revenues from the Communications and Building Systems segments to be $1.61 billion and $358 million, sequentially up 2.7% but down 9.5%, respectively.Earnings & MarginsFor the fiscal second quarter, Dycom’s bottom line is expected to have increased year over year because of incremental leverage from contract revenue growth and strong operational capabilities. Owing to the robust market fundamentals, the company projects adjusted EBITDA between $284 million and $303 million, up from $205.5 million reported in the prior-year quarter. The company anticipates adjusted EPS in the range of $4.40-$4.82 for the fiscal second quarter.Our model projects adjusted EBITDA to grow year over year by 41% to $289.8 million.Although trade policy uncertainty and tariff-related cost increases are concerning for bottom-line growth, the increasing top line and favorable market demand trends are expected to have more than offset these headwinds.BacklogFor the fiscal second quarter, our model expects a total backlog of $14.11 billion, indicating growth of 76.6% from $7.99 billion reported in the prior-year quarter. Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Dycom this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. This is not the case here, as you will see below.DY’s Earnings ESP: The company has an Earnings ESP of +0.69%. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.DY’s Zacks Rank: The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MLM reported outstanding second-quarter 2026 results, wherein adjusted earnings (from continuing operations) and revenues topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate and increased year over year.Martin Marietta’s results benefited from strong organic performance and contributions from acquisitions. Aggregates shipments increased 17% to a record 61.6 million tons, supported by infrastructure and heavy nonresidential demand. Heavy nonresidential demand also benefits from data center, power-generation and warehouse construction. Martin Marietta raised its 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $7.2-$7.4 billion, with a midpoint of $7.3 billion.CRH plc CRH reported exceptional second-quarter 2026 financial results with adjusted earnings and total revenues topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate and growing year over year. Positive pricing, favorable demand and acquisition contributions supported the quarterly growth. CRH completed 11 acquisitions during the quarter for $1.1 billion.CRH reaffirmed 2026 net income guidance of $3.9-$4.1 billion, adjusted EBITDA guidance of $8.1-$8.5 billion and earnings guidance of $5.60-$6.05 per share. The company expects public infrastructure spending and reindustrialization activity to support demand, while new-build residential conditions remain subdued.NVR, Inc. NVR reported second-quarter 2026 results, with earnings and Homebuilding revenues missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Earnings and Homebuilding revenues also declined on a year-over-year basis.NVR’s quarter reflected stronger order activity and a lower cancellation rate, but fewer settlements, softer pricing and margin pressure weighed on results. Settlements fell 8% to 5,058 units from 5,475 units, limiting revenue generation during the period. Backlog units increased 9% year over year, while Homebuilding's gross margin contracted amid higher lot costs, affordability challenges and land deposit impairments. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Dycom Industries, Inc. (DY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) : Free Stock Analysis Report NVR, Inc. (NVR) : Free Stock Analysis Report CRH PLC (CRH) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Toll Brothers, Inc. TOL reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended July 31) results, with earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. However, both top and bottom lines declined on a year-over-year basis.TOL’s top-line beat was supported by higher delivered pricing, which partly offset lower home deliveries. The company’s average price on home deliveries increased from the prior-year quarter, while net signed contracts also grew year over year.On a macro level, the company continued to navigate a challenging housing market. Still, management highlighted the resilience of its affluent customer base and the strength of the luxury-focused business model. The company reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.97, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.90 by 2.4% but declined 20.4% year over year from $3.73. Toll Brothers Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Toll Brothers Inc. Quote In the fiscal third quarter, total revenues of $2.66 billion surpassed the consensus mark of $2.60 billion by 2.4% but fell 9.7% from the year-ago quarter. For the quarter under review, Toll Brothers’ home sales revenues decreased 7.9% year over year to $2.65 billion from $2.88 billion. Home deliveries declined 10% to 2,662 units from 2,959 units in the year-ago quarter.Despite the lower volume, the average delivered price increased 2.3% year over year to $996,400 from $973,600, helping cushion the impact of fewer deliveries. The company ended the quarter with 471 selling communities compared with 420 in the prior-year period. Order momentum remained a constructive indicator in the quarter. Net signed contracts increased 5% year over year to 2,508 homes, while contract value rose 4.3% to $2.52 billion from $2.41 billion. The average price of signed contracts was $1,002,900 compared with $1,010,100 a year ago.Backlog ended the quarter at 5,312 homes valued at $6.24 billion, down 3.3% and 2.2%, respectively, from the prior-year period. The average price of homes in backlog increased to $1,174,400 from $1,161,000. Quarterly cancellations represented 5.4% of signed contracts, improving from 7.5% a year ago. While operations were sufficient to drive an earnings beat, profitability remained under pressure. Home sales gross margin declined to 23.9% from 25.6% a year ago, while adjusted home sales gross margin fell to 25.6% from 27.5%. Nonetheless, adjusted gross margin came in 35 basis points above management’s guidance.SG&A increased to 10% of home sales revenues from 8.8%, further constraining year-over-year profitability. Income from operations declined to $359.2 million from $487.7 million. Joint venture impairments totaled $39.6 million, while inventory impairments and write-offs included in home sales cost of revenues were $17.7 million compared with $23.3 million a year ago. Toll Brothers continued returning capital while maintaining substantial liquidity. The company repurchased about 1.4 million shares during the quarter for $206.8 million at an average price of $148.63. It also paid a quarterly dividend of 26 cents per share.Cash and cash equivalents totaled $1.06 billion at quarter-end, down from $1.26 billion at fiscal 2025 year-end and $1.11 billion at the end of the fiscal second quarter. Available liquidity under the senior unsecured revolving credit facility was $2.24 billion. The debt-to-capital ratio improved to 24.5% from 24.7% in the prior quarter, while net debt-to-capital increased to 15.6% from 15.4%. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, TOL expects deliveries of 3,450-3,550 units and an average delivered price of $995,000-$1,005,000. Adjusted home sales gross margin is projected at 26%, while SG&A is estimated at 8.1% of home sales revenues. The tax rate is projected at 26%.For fiscal 2026, TOL forecasts deliveries of 10,500-10,600 units. The estimated range reflects a decline from the fiscal 2025 level of 11,292. Average delivered price is expected at $995,000-$1,000,000, indicating growth from $960,200 in fiscal 2025. The company continues to see adjusted home sales gross margin at 26.10% (a decline from the 27.3% reported in fiscal 2025) and SG&A at 10.10% of home sales revenues, with period-end community count projected at 480-490. Management also increased projected fiscal 2026 share repurchases to $700 million from $650 million. Toll Brothers currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MLM reported outstanding second-quarter 2026 results, wherein adjusted earnings (from continuing operations) and revenues topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate and increased year over year.Martin Marietta’s results benefited from strong organic performance and contributions from acquisitions. Aggregates shipments increased 17% to a record 61.6 million tons, supported by infrastructure and heavy nonresidential demand. Heavy nonresidential demand also benefits from data center, power-generation and warehouse construction. Martin Marietta raised its 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $7.2-$7.4 billion, with a midpoint of $7.3 billion.CRH plc CRH reported exceptional second-quarter 2026 financial results with adjusted earnings and total revenues topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate and growing year over year. Positive pricing, favorable demand and acquisition contributions supported the quarterly growth. CRH completed 11 acquisitions during the quarter for $1.1 billion.The company reaffirmed 2026 net income guidance of $3.9-$4.1 billion, adjusted EBITDA guidance of $8.1-$8.5 billion and earnings guidance of $5.60-$6.05 per share. CRH expects public infrastructure spending and reindustrialization activity to support demand, while new-build residential conditions remain subdued.Quanta Services, Inc. PWR reported better-than-expected second-quarter 2026 results, with adjusted earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company’s performance benefited from strong demand for grid, generation and data-center infrastructure, broader self-perform capabilities, efficient resource utilization and solid execution across both segments.Quanta increased its 2026 revenue forecast to $39.3-$39.7 billion, representing a $4.55 billion increase at the midpoint from its prior outlook. Adjusted earnings are now projected to be in the range of $16.45-$16.95 per share, while adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $4.09 billion and $4.21 billion. Free cash flow is forecast to be in the $2-$2.5 billion range. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Toll Brothers Inc. (TOL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) : Free Stock Analysis Report CRH PLC (CRH) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MLM enters the second half of 2026 with stronger revenues, improving organic aggregates volumes and firm demand from infrastructure and heavy nonresidential projects. Those trends support the earnings outlook, but the stock already carries a premium valuation.The investment case therefore depends on execution. Pricing discipline, acquisition contributions and efficiency initiatives are positives, while residential weakness, energy inflation and softer estimate revisions leave less room for disappointment. Second-quarter adjusted earnings of $5.00 per share topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.2% and increased 3.3% year over year. Revenues increased 21% to $1.95 billion and beat the consensus mark by 4.3%.Aggregates shipments rose 17% to a record 61.6 million tons, including 2.3% organic growth. That marked the fourth consecutive quarter of organic volume growth as infrastructure and heavy nonresidential activity supported demand across Martin Marietta’s footprint. Reported aggregates average selling price declined 2% to $22.74 per ton, reflecting acquisition-related and geographic mix pressure. That headline decline masks better pricing in the legacy business.Organic average selling price increased 2.1%, while organic mix-adjusted pricing advanced 3.7%. The latter measure shows continued pricing discipline even as acquired operations and faster growth in lower-priced markets diluted the reported average. Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. Quote Martin Marietta raised 2026 revenue guidance to $7.2-$7.4 billion and reaffirmed adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations guidance of $2.36-$2.50 billion. Infrastructure funding, heavy nonresidential projects and recent acquisitions support the top-line outlook.The constraints are equally visible. Residential activity remains pressured by affordability, while energy costs are expected to stay elevated through year-end. Organic cost of goods sold per ton increased 3.6% in the second quarter, including a 150-basis-point headwind from higher pass-through external freight costs. MLM trades at 26.2X forward 12-month earnings, above the Zacks sub-industry’s 20.9X and its own five-year median of 25.8X. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has also moved 1.4% lower over the past four weeks.Vulcan Materials Company VMC is the nation’s largest supplier of construction aggregates, making it a natural peer for investors assessing aggregates exposure. CRH plc CRH is another relevant comparison because its Americas Materials Solutions segment supplies aggregates, cementitious materials, ready-mixed concrete and asphalt. The premium can be sustained if Martin Marietta converts stronger volumes, pricing discipline and portfolio expansion into durable earnings growth. Still, the valuation and recent estimate movement suggest that investors may want clearer evidence of margin progress before assigning more upside to the shares.MLM currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating a neutral near-term earnings-revision signal. Its Value Score of D is joined by a Growth Score of F, Momentum Score of F and VGM Score of F. Since the Zacks Style Scores complement the Rank, those weak grades reinforce a patient stance rather than a fresh buying case at the current multiple. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) : Free Stock Analysis Report CRH PLC (CRH) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. ET Chief Executive Officer - Jim Mintern Chief Financial Officer - Aylwyn Bryan Chief Operating Officer - Randy Lake Head of Investor Relations - Danilo Juvane Krista: Good day, and welcome to the CRH Second Quarter 2026 Results Presentation. My name is Krista, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I'd like to turn the conference over to Jim Mintern, CRH Chief Executive Officer, to begin the conference. Please go ahead, sir. Jim Mintern: Hello, everyone. Jim Mintern here, CEO of CRH, and you're all very welcome to our Q2 2026 results presentation and conference call. Joining me on the call is Aylwyn Bryan, our CFO; Randy Lake, our COO; and Danilo Juvane, Head of Investor Relations. Before we get started, I'll hand over to Danilo for some brief opening remarks. Danilo Juvane: Thanks, Jim, and hello, everyone. I'd like to draw your attention to Slide 2 shown here on the screen. During our presentation, we will be making some forward-looking statements relating to our future plans and expectations. These are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results and outcomes could differ materially due to factors outlined on this slide. For more details, please refer to our annual report and other SEC filings, which are available on our website. I'll now hand it back to you, Jim. Jim Mintern: Over the next 20 minutes or so, we will take you through a brief presentation of our results for the second quarter of the year, highlighting the key components of our operating performance, our recent capital allocation activities as well as providing you with an update on our expectations for the year. We will also outline how we are strategically positioning our business to deliver further growth and value creation for our shareholders. First, on Slide 4, let me take you through some key messages from our results. We are pleased to report a record second quarter with further growth in revenues, adjusted EBITDA and margin compared to the prior year period, reflecting favorable underlying demand, disciplined commercial execution and contributions from acquisitions. All of this is underpinned by the benefits of our superior strategy and the continued execution of our winning way. We remain focused on active portfolio management and the disciplined allocation of capital as we continue to build a higher growth connected portfolio to maximize shareholder value. In the year-to-date, we completed 3 strategic divestitures of noncore businesses for a total consideration of $1.9 billion and invested $1.4 billion in 17 value-accretive acquisitions across our 4 strategic growth platforms of aggregates, cementitious, roads and water. We also recently announced an agreement to acquire Arcosa, a leading provider of building materials and critical infrastructure products in the United States. This is a significant investment, which will reinforce CRH as the leading aggregates and critical infrastructure player in North America, and I will take you through that in further detail later in the presentation. Turning to outlook. We are encouraged by the underlying demand environment across our key markets. Notwithstanding the current geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties, we are pleased to reaffirm our adjusted EBITDA guidance range for 2026, representing another strong year of growth and value creation for CRH. Turning now to Slide 5 and our financial highlights for the second quarter. Overall, a robust performance with revenues, adjusted EBITDA, margin and diluted EPS all ahead of the prior year period. Total revenues of $10.8 billion were 6% ahead. This translated into adjusted EBITDA of over $2.6 billion in the quarter, a 7% increase over the prior year. Despite contending with an inflationary cost environment, I am pleased to report a further 30 basis points of margin expansion, demonstrating our relentless focus on commercial excellence and strong cost discipline across our business. All of this translated into further growth in our diluted earnings per share, a 14% increase, reflecting a strong operating performance and including a $0.16 net gain on divestitures in the period. Now at this point, I will ask Randy to take you through the performance of each of our businesses. Randy Lake: Thanks, Jim. Hello, everyone. Turning to Slide 7 and starting with Americas Materials Solutions, which delivered a strong performance in the quarter, supported by good underlying demand, positive pricing and contributions from acquisitions. Total revenues and adjusted EBITDA were 10% and 12% ahead of the prior year, benefiting from our national scale and connected portfolio of businesses. In Essential Materials, second quarter revenues were 20% ahead of the prior year. Our aggregates volume increased by 2%, while pricing was 5% ahead. Cement volumes were 2% behind the prior year, reflecting some adverse weather conditions, which impacted activity levels in certain markets. Cement pricing declined by 1%, reflecting regional variances across our operating footprint. Our performance also reflects contributions from acquisitions, particularly Eco Material, which I'm pleased to report is performing well. In Road Solutions, Q2 revenues were 6% ahead of the prior year, supported by growth in asphalt volumes and pricing as well as increased paving activity, reflecting strong project execution and backlog conversion. From a demand standpoint, the underlying backdrop remains positive, supported by our strategic alignment to growing infrastructure megatrends. Transportation and water infrastructure continues to be supported by strong state and federal funding, while reindustrialization activity remains underpinned by large-scale manufacturing and data center projects. Despite an inflationary cost environment, I'm pleased with how our teams demonstrated strong cost and commercial discipline across our business, delivering a further 40 basis point of margin expansion compared to the prior year. So overall, robust delivery from our Americas Materials Solutions business. And looking ahead for the remainder of the year, I'm encouraged by the positive momentum we're seeing in our bidding activity and our backlogs. Next to Americas Building Solutions on Slide 8, where our second quarter performance reflects the impact of recently completed divestitures and a subdued new build residential market. We also experienced an inflationary cost backdrop, particularly in relation to elevated haulage rates in the quarter, and we've implemented operational and commercial initiatives to mitigate these costs. In our Outdoor Living business, demand for residential repair and remodel continues to be resilient. In our Building and Infrastructure Solutions business, we're seeing good growth in data center, water and energy markets. For Americas Building Solutions overall, total revenues and adjusted EBITDA were 2% and 8% behind prior year. Moving to International Solutions on Slide 9, where our business delivered further growth and margin expansion supported by higher activity levels in certain markets, positive pricing momentum and strict cost control in an inflationary environment. Total revenue growth of 5% translated into an 8% increase in adjusted EBITDA and a further 70 basis points of margin expansion, reflecting ongoing performance optimization initiatives as well as contributions from acquisitions. In Europe, our businesses continue to benefit from favorable infrastructure and reindustrialization activity, while in Australia, our business also continues to perform well, benefiting from positive underlying demand, operational improvements and synergy delivery from recent acquisitions. Jim Mintern: Thanks, Randy. Overall, a strong second quarter performance from our business. Now at this point, I would like to discuss the continued execution of our strategy and how that leaves us well positioned for continued growth and value creation. We continue to focus on increasing our exposure to 3 large and growing infrastructure megatrends, which we believe will support significant long-term growth and value creation for our business. Through disciplined capital allocation, we are strengthening our leading market positions in attractive markets to fully capitalize on these compelling growth opportunities. We are continuing to advance our aggregates-led connected portfolio strategy as demonstrated by our recent agreement to acquire Arcosa. We produce over 380 million tonnes of aggregates on an annual basis. And by leveraging the benefits of our connected portfolio across our cementitious, roads and water platforms, we are able to maximize our profits, cash and returns. With over 1,200 acquisitions completed throughout our history, we have a proven ability to acquire and integrate businesses at scale. And our financial strength and cash generation capabilities provides us with strong optionality for further capital deployment. Turning to Slide 12. Through the continued execution of our strategy, we are increasing our exposure to growing infrastructure megatrends, transportation, water and reindustrialization and strengthening our leadership positions across our 4 connected growth platforms of aggregates, cementitious, roads and water. All of this reinforces our position as the #1 infrastructure player in North America and our ability to deliver further growth and value creation for our shareholders. I will now ask Aylwyn to take you through our recent capital allocation activities. Aylwyn Bryan: Thanks, Jim. Hello, everybody. Turning to Slide 13 and first to M&A, where year-to-date, we've invested $1.4 billion on 17 value-accretive acquisitions across our connected growth platforms. The largest acquisition was Axius Water for approximately $700 million, further strengthening our position as a leading U.S. water infrastructure player. As Jim mentioned earlier, in June, we also reached an agreement to acquire Arcosa for a cash consideration of $150 per share, reflecting a total enterprise value of approximately $8.5 billion. The transaction is subject to Arcosa stockholder approval, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, and we expect to close during the first quarter of 2027. Looking ahead and notwithstanding what has been an active year so far, we have a strong pipeline of further M&A opportunities in front of us, supported by our unmatched scale, connected portfolio and fragmented nature of our industry. We also completed 3 strategic divestitures of noncore businesses for a total consideration of $1.9 billion, demonstrating our commitment to active portfolio management and the reallocation of capital into higher growth connected businesses. Through the second quarter, we've invested approximately $800 million in growth CapEx leveraging our size and scale to fully capitalize on high-returning, low-risk investment opportunities to expand capacity in high-growth markets, improve operational efficiency, increase automation and optimize our energy usage, all of which will drive long-term shareholder value. We have also returned $1.2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks year-to-date. And in line with our strong financial position and policy of consistent long-term dividend growth, the Board has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, representing an increase of 5% on the prior year. Since the inception of our buyback program in 2018, we've returned approximately $10 billion to shareholders through the repurchase of 24% of our shares. As previously announced in June, in connection with our agreement to acquire Arcosa, we have taken the decision to pause our share buyback program following the completion of the latest tranche and we'll reevaluate the program at a later date. So overall, an active year so far, demonstrating our focus on efficient allocation of capital to maximize value for our shareholders. Jim Mintern: Thanks, Aylwyn. A good summary there of our recent capital allocation activities. Turning now to Slide 14 and our agreement to acquire Arcosa, which is fully aligned with our strategy. Arcosa is a leading provider of building materials and critical infrastructure products in the United States. Under our ownership, it will enhance our connected customer offering and with 35 million tonnes of annual high-quality aggregates, it will reinforce our position as the leader in U.S. aggregates with over 265 million tonnes of combined annualized production. Overall, the acquisition represents a compelling growth and value creation opportunity for CRH. And I will ask Randy to provide a brief overview of the strong synergy opportunities we have identified so far. Randy Lake: With this acquisition, we're uniquely positioned to deliver significant value creation for our shareholders, leveraging our unmatched scale, connected portfolio and leading performance capabilities. And as you can see on Slide 15, we currently expect approximately $175 million of run-rate cost synergies to be achieved by year 3 with $60 million anticipated in the first year of ownership. We've identified significant opportunities across operational improvements, materials, self-supply, global procurement benefits as well as optimizing our administrative and support functions. So overall, the transaction represents strong synergy and value creation potential, and we look forward to updating you further post completion. Turning to Slide 16 and just to take a step back for a moment to highlight our strong track record of synergy delivery from acquisitions. Our ability to identify, acquire and integrate businesses at scale is a well-developed muscle in CRH. Origination starts at the local level. Local teams with strong community ties and long-term relationships, sourcing strategic growth opportunities across thousands of locations. These empowered local teams leverage the benefits of our global scale and leading performance capabilities, be it through best practice programs, global procurement benefits or operational and commercial excellence initiatives. We have a disciplined and value-focused approach, applying a rigorous appraisal process as well as strict strategic and financial performance criteria to every investment we make. Since 2018, we've delivered on average approximately 600 basis points of margin improvement within the first 3 years post acquisition. A more recent example of this is Eco Material, the leading supplier of SCMs, which we acquired last year. The integration is progressing well, and I'm pleased to report that synergy delivery is ahead of our original expectations. All of this reflects a deeply embedded culture of performance and a relentless focus on continuous business improvement, which really strikes at the core of our winning way. Jim Mintern: Thanks, Randy. Turning to Slide 17. And as we previously communicated, over the next 5 years, we expect to have at our disposal financial capacity of approximately $40 billion, reflecting our strong growth profile, the level of cash we are generating and the strength of our balance sheet. We expect to allocate approximately 70% of this to growth investments with the remaining 30% returned to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks. The proposed acquisition of Arcosa accelerates our progress in this regard by also being fully aligned with the delivery of our 2030 financial targets, annual revenue growth of between 7% and 9% and adjusted EBITDA margin of 22% to 24% by 2030 and an average adjusted free cash flow conversion of over 100%. On Slide 18, you can really get a sense of the size and scale of our business with the adjusted EBITDA of CRH together with Arcosa on a forecast 2026 basis being larger than the next 4 U.S. peers combined. Scale matters in our industry. It creates significant commercial, operational and strategic benefits that set us apart and enable us to deliver leading performance year after year. Our unrivaled cash generation capabilities, combined with our uniquely connected portfolio provides us with superior optionality to invest for further growth and value creation, all supported by our strong balance sheet and investment-grade credit rating. All of this together demonstrates why CRH is the leading compounder of capital in our industry. Finally, now turning to outlook on Slide 20. And we are pleased to reaffirm our adjusted EBITDA, net income and diluted earnings per share guidance for 2026. Assuming normal seasonal weather patterns for the remainder of the year and no further major dislocations in the geopolitical or macroeconomic environment, we expect full year adjusted EBITDA to be between $8.1 billion and $8.5 billion, net income between $3.9 billion and $4.1 billion and diluted earnings per share between $5.60 and $6.05, representing another strong year of growth and value creation for CRH. So that concludes our presentation for today. I will now hand you back to the moderator to coordinate the Q&A session of our call. Angel Castillo Malpica: Jim, Aylwyn, congrats on the strong quarter here. Just -- you kept your outlook unchanged despite still a volatile and uncertain kind of macro backdrop. So just I was hoping you could give us a little bit more color on just your 2026 guidance and just the underlying assumptions. Jim Mintern: Yes, listen, I'll give a bit of background first, and then I might ask Randy just to jump in maybe on the building blocks, the kind of volume and prices underpinning that reaffirmation of the guidance and then Aylwyn just in terms of the financial puts and takes at the end of it. Yes, listen, this morning, very pleased to be announcing a really strong Q2 and a strong H1 despite what has been a very challenging macro environment. And as you know, kind of very much a weather interrupted kind of May and June in some of our Southern and Southeastern parts of the U.S. business. And in that context, very pleased to reaffirming the adjusted EBITDA guidance for the year. What gives us confidence in that is really the positive demand across the business. Infrastructure is strong, Angel, across the business, particularly, and that's both U.S. and an international comment. We're forecasting this year to be still have 40% of the IIJA unspent. So we had good momentum coming into '26. That's continued and looking at good momentum exiting into '27, too. I'd say one thing that we did note, certainly in the first half of '26, we saw a notable pickup in the whole area of reindustrialization. That's kind of obviously in data centers, but also advanced manufacturing facilities, semiconductor facilities, LNG plants. And these are large multiyear construction projects typically can run kind of 2 to 3 years. Residential, pretty much subdued, particularly on the new build side in the U.S., but seeing good resilience actually on the repair and remodel side. Then we switch to the international business, seeing similar trends, strong infrastructure underpin across the whole international business. Again, seeing a pickup in the whole kind of reindustrialization space across data centers and advanced manufacturing, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. Maybe slightly different to the U.S., seeing pockets of recovery in residential, certainly in parts of Western Europe and up into the Nordics as well we are seeing. So good underlying backdrop across the business. We've had a good start to the year in terms of pricing, good early season pricing, and that was followed up by midyear pricing also and very good commercial execution. And looking forward in that guidance to another year of margin expansion. But maybe, Randy, do you want to get into the specifics maybe of volumes and prices? Randy Lake: Yes. I guess when you look at our business, and we've talked about this before, kind of the Americas Materials business specifically, the window of the future is our backlog kind of gives us that 6- to 9-month view in terms of underlying activities, and that remains positive. So when we talk about kind of the quantum that we're bidding as well as what we've secured in terms of volumes, they're both up year-over-year. Jim called it out, certainly, infrastructure and the private reindustrialization is playing a significant role in that. Jim mentioned it as well, these are multiyear projects. I think what it does do is actually play to the strength of the connected portfolio. So it's not just the ability to provide the aggregates, everything from the very beginning of the project in terms of the underground water, energy components with our products business as well as cementitious and all the way into delivering aggregate ready-mix and then ultimately asphalt. So that connected portfolio has been a strength and adds to the volume backdrop that we're seeing. Good to see agg movement in Q2, volumes up 2%, pricing up 5%. That's really in line with what our full year expectations have been. If you remember back in Q1, we had a mixed adjusted pricing of 5%. So it's great to see it actually coming through in regards to demand and the business. Cement volumes, some weather impact in Q2, but for the first half, up 3%. So encouraging to see that. And I think that really gives us the confidence in terms of what our outlook is on cement kind of low single digit in terms of volume improvement and broadly flat on pricing. I would call out specifically in and around our cementitious strategy. I mentioned it in the opening remarks, Eco Material performing really well. Volume and pricing up mid-single digits. So when you look at kind of the strength of that business, what we anticipated in terms of commercial opportunities, the internalizing of that volume is coming through. And when you look at a mix-adjusted basis on cementitious pricing, we're ahead, which is really positive. Jim mentioned as well, just to wrap up on international, good performance, continue to see good volume growth. The expectations for the year are low single-digit volume and mid-single-digit pricing for the full year. And that will be the ninth year of positive pricing in our international business. So the combination of good backlog, good commercial execution gives us a lot of confidence for the year. Aylwyn Bryan: From a scope perspective, you'll have seen it's been an active year from a portfolio perspective. So $1.4 billion on 17 value-accretive acquisitions and $1.9 billion of divestments. And so overall scope impact, I guess, lots of puts and takes that feed into this, but the net incremental EBITDA contribution to be expected in the region of $200 million for the year. And then finally, just on FX, based on current FX rates, the FX impact is expected to be negligible. Angel Castillo Malpica: Super helpful. That was a lot of great detail. Maybe just one quick one. Just you touched on prices and how you're seeing some improvements in certain pockets. I guess just your view as we go into the second half and into kind of exit rate into 2027, I would be curious if you could talk about just the overall market's ability to absorb potentially higher prices across kind of your Americas Materials products, and particularly in Essentials, just given continued cost inflation lasting longer than we thought. Jim Mintern: Yes. I think, Angel, as you said, we've had a good start to the pricing with good early season pricing across the whole business. And we called it that in Q1, with mix adjusted in 5%. We've good to see that coming through strongly than the 5% reported in Q2. Midyear pricing, we called it out, I think, on the Q1 earnings is in place, right? And that's what has given us that confidence in looking at mid-single digits for the full year, which is going to give us good momentum into '27 as well from a pricing perspective. Obviously, a fair bit to play. We're only getting into the kind of crux of the season right now in terms of construction season. But yes, very happy with where pricing is and really looking forward to another year of margin expansion for the full year. Anthony Pettinari: Jim, could you talk about the drivers of margin weakness at Americas Building Solutions and maybe kind of timing and levers for recovery there? Jim Mintern: Yes. Sure, Anthony. Yes, I think overall, it's kind of a mixed quarter overall for the Americas Building Solutions business, right? On the one hand, we kind of saw good growth across data centers and the whole reindustrialization space, which kind of fed in strongly to our water and energy infrastructure business. But clearly, the performance in the quarter had been impacted by the divestitures in the first half of the year and the kind of continued subdued residential demand, primarily from a new build perspective, right? The repair and maintenance is actually a remodel, rather, has remained reasonably resilient. We saw a very significant pickup, as you know, during the pandemic. And since then, it's actually held up reasonably well. So it's really the softness and the subdued nature on the new build residential in that perspective. Specifically in the quarter, I think we called it out, we were impacted by cost inflation in the Americas Building Solutions business, and that is particularly in the area of haulage, where we saw increased haulage rates on certain of the delivered products in the American Building Solutions. However, we've taken steps to mitigate this. We've come back with kind of additional price surcharges and cost reductions. But as you know, this can take time to recover, right? There can be a lag, but we expect the impact of this cost inflation to moderate as we head into kind of quarter 3 and further into quarter 4 as well. Trey Grooms: So I want to ask about -- on the public side, about BUILD America 250. I'd love to get your updated thoughts on how it stacks up to IIJA, the puts and takes there. And it looks like we're heading for a continuing resolution here. Curious to see how you think that plays out and what all that could mean for your business and the public demand outlook. And if we were heading for a bit of a funding gap, how do you navigate that? Jim Mintern: Thanks, Trey. Yes, listen, I might ask Randy to come in just on the very specifics of where we believe it is right now from a DC perspective. But overall, as I said, we exited last year with good momentum, and we've seen that continuing in terms of very strong federal and indeed state funding in the current year, right? And we see it in our bidding activity and our backlogs. And as I said kind of in the opening remarks on the full year guidance, we're expecting at the end of the year to have still 40% of the IIJA yet to be deployed. That's not unusual, right? As we've said this a number of times in a kind of multiyear interstate highway funding program to exit with kind of a 1 to 18 months kind of tail in terms of funding is quite common. But maybe, Randy, you might just give an update of what we understand where we are exactly in terms of BA 250 for MDC. Randy Lake: Yes. So I guess if you take a step back, I think, broadly, infrastructure spend has been a bipartisan issue. So I think there's been constructive conversations both coming out of the House and early conversations within the Senate. As you know, the BUILD America Act, at least the way it is written today is authorizing $580 billion for highway transit and safety programs. I think it's obviously early days in terms of the Senate, so they're preparing their own version. But certainly, our conversations with those people engaged in those discussions, it is a very supportive environment. I think there's obviously a general and broad understanding of the need for continued investment, not only just to maintain what we have, but also to improve and expand. I think if you took a step back, at least for us, there are kind of 3 things that stand out in terms of the positive language within the Build America Act. One, there's increased funding for core infrastructure. So bridges, highways, streets and things along those lines, which is critically important. Secondly, there's certainly the conversation in and around permitting reform, so the ability and obviously, the recognition and the need to accelerate project delivery. So good to see some of the legislation addressing that area. And then finally, the new revenue stream. As you know, the federal gas tax has been -- is the primary mechanism for fundraising within the Highway Trust Fund. That's been in place or certainly hasn't been changed since the early '90s. And so there's a recognition of the need to kind of bridge that gap. This won't go the whole way, but it's an important first step. I think you called out, maybe we are heading towards a continuing resolution, but we've been there before. So even if we don't reach a multiyear bill in the fall, our starting point for that extension is coming off record levels. And so you combine that with the remaining funds of the IIJA, it's a significant level of investment that is yet to come. I think for us, we certainly don't see any pullback or hesitation at the state level in regards to whether it's maintenance or new builds. So that's encouraging. I think also what we've seen in times of continuing resolutions has been an increase on states to reallocate money into increased repair and maintenance, certainly a benefit to us. We're the largest road paver in the U.S. But fundamentally, we don't see any disruptions or expect any disruptions for the balance of the year or as we look into 2027. Kathryn Thompson: I wanted to see kind of a balanced update on the M&A pipeline and the Arcosa transaction approval. And then part and parcel with that, you've been good about divesting assets. Where are you with that journey? And maybe give a little bit more color in the type of assets that you would be more focused in divesting. Jim Mintern: Yes, listen, in terms of acquisitions to date and pipeline, a very strong first half to the year, very happy with it, very pleased with it, $1.4 billion on 17 acquisitions. And they've been really across all our kind of connected growth platforms and really aligned with the kind of growing infrastructure megatrends. Largest, of course, was the Axius Water deal, which closed just before the end of the quarter at $700 million. Super excited in that particular deal. And so far, so good, early days, but as integration has started well. You're right, during -- we just announced about a month ago that we had reached agreement to acquire Arcosa for $8.5 billion total EV value. What that Arcosa does is that it brings us in, as you know, it's primarily aggregates, but also it plays in the engineered structures, particularly the energy transmission space. From an aggregates perspective, it adds about 35 million tonnes to our total 230 million tonnes that we've produced in North America. So brings us up reaffirms our position as #1, but particularly exciting from our perspective and that it brings us into 2 new high-growth markets in terms of Dallas and Phoenix, which were kind of geographic white spaces for us from an aggregates perspective. And in particular, there are regions and fast-growing areas where we had existing parts of the connected portfolio. So to be able to drop in the aggregates position in those particular fast-growing areas is particularly good from that perspective. Also, in terms of the whole engineered structures space, very -- it's going to be one of the fastest-growing parts of U.S. construction for the next 5 years. So very pleased from that perspective. Now the deal itself is going to be subject to both Arcosa shareholder approval and normal regulatory approvals. However, we expect it to kind of complete in early 2027. Now when we look into the outlook, we have a strong and active pipeline of opportunities in attractive high-growth markets. The balance sheet remains robust, right? And you go back to the Investor Day, we called out that we had $40 billion of financial capacity, right? And I think what you get in terms of our portfolio, the connected nature of the portfolio, that brings optionality, Kathryn, in terms of allocating capital across whether it's our aggregates, whether it's across our cementitious or roads or water. And you can see that in the recent deals we've been doing over the last number of years. But with that optionality, I think crucially for myself and the team is that it brings discipline, right? Having that optionality means that we can really have that laser focus on assessing all the potential M&A pipeline and picking the ones that are going to add the most significance in terms of shareholder value accretion. I think ultimately, kind of a few companies have the scale, the financial power or the capabilities to execute at the kind of rate we're doing and really why we see ourselves as the leading compounder of capital in what remains still a quite fragmented industry in our particular growth platforms in the U.S. Now in terms of divestments, yes, a good start to the year, I would say, $1.9 billion across 3 divestments. Again, it's something that we regularly challenge ourselves, looking at opportunities to recycle capital into faster-growing, more connected parts of the portfolio. You should expect us to continue to do that, Kathryn. I mean that's what we do. It's not an event. It's really just a process that we continuously challenge ourselves to look for those opportunities. And as we go forward, there will be other opportunities, too, and you should expect it in kind of the faster-growing geographies, the kind of South and the West of the U.S., Central Eastern Europe into Australia, but across the 4 areas of the growth platforms that we've called out. William Jones: A couple from me, please, if I could. First, just looking at the asphalt business in North America. I think the pricing went from flat to plus 6% in Q2, and we can all see what's happened with bitumen. But perhaps you could just give us an indication of where spot prices might be year-on-year-wise over the key Q3 season and how your costs are shaping up against that? And any general remark about the absorption of that into the paving business would be great. And then the second, if you could just perhaps give us a quick tour of any important observations you might make by country in your international business around volume or price? Jim Mintern: Yes. Morning, Will. Good to hear from you. I might ask Randy just to come back in terms of the asphalt pricing and the outlook for the full year in terms of pricing and margin on the asphalt business, good start to the year there. But in terms of the international business, I think a good, again, a strong performance across the build very briefly. Starting first maybe in Central Eastern Europe was a kind of very much challenged Q1 from a weather perspective once we put that weather behind us. We began to see a good recovery across all that Eastern Europe footprint, primarily led by infrastructure. And also, I called it out in the opening remarks in terms of the whole reindustrialization space in terms of data centers and advanced manufacturing. In addition to kind of the normal, I guess, regular multiyear EU kind of funding on an infrastructure basis, we're beginning to see reasonable activity in terms of defense infrastructure as well in that particular region and some nice projects across that kind of Eastern Europe flank for us. Western Europe, parts of it, I would say, strong performance in the quarter and the half. I called out Ireland, Spain, recovery in the Nordics. Seeing some early shoots on the French side of it, particularly on the residential in terms of permits from that perspective. So pleased to see that. U.K. for us has actually had a solid and a good year, building off kind of 4, 5 strong years. Again, more than half the Tarmac business in the U.K. is infrastructure. And there's still, obviously, High Speed 2, we're still delivering some volume into that, but there's some good start-up in other significant infrastructure projects, which is supporting that U.K. business for us. So we're looking forward to another year of growth in terms of profits and margins again in the U.K. Randy, maybe in terms of asphalt in the U.S., what we're seeing? Randy Lake: Yes. So maybe I'll break it into 2 pieces, the demand environment and then kind of the cost and pricing opportunities there. Maybe go back to our visibility in the demand in terms of our backlog. So we're seeing good improvement, again, in the bidding activity and also the work that we've secured. So the volumes are ahead which is then obviously a positive as we go into to execute in the second half of the year. That's a supportive environment. I think in terms of liquid asphalt, we've called it out before, it's certainly a competitive advantage. The opportunity for us to house in our tank storage half of our yearly consumption. It's about having that product available during the paving season, which is critically important. So happy with the progress we made this year in terms of what we have in the tank and what -- from a cost profile standpoint. Again, we use that in a couple of different ways. One, for supply; two, the technical capabilities to design mixes specific to any kind of road project we have across the U.S., again, gives us a competitive advantage. And we manage that business on a margin basis. So when we look for the full year, our expectation, when you look at the demand environment, the cost profile and what we've done with liquid asphalt so far, we expect another year of margin progression as we look for the balance of the year. Keith Hughes: Anyway, to my question, it's a good explanation of asphalt, a lot of positives there. I guess my question is on ready-mix in Americas. Volumes were flat, pricing up slightly. Could you give -- what do you think is going on in that business and what the outlook for the second half of the year is going to be? Jim Mintern: Yes, absolutely, Keith. I think a solid performance, I'd say, year-to-date in it in the U.S. I think what you're seeing is probably one of the areas in the business, which is probably most directly impacted by the new build res situation across the U.S. That kind of prolonged subdued kind of softness in new build res. I think, obviously, a big user of ready-mix from that perspective. So I think as we're not certainly expecting any recovery on new build res into '26. And at this stage, you got to say it's probably going to be in the back end of '27 at best before we see any recovery from that perspective. But I think when you do see that, it will be very meaningful, both from a volume and particularly a price perspective on the ready-mix side of the business. So I think that's the main driver. And that's pretty consistent across the whole footprint we have across the whole of the U.S. Keith Hughes: Okay. One other question related to that, just on cement. You had good volumes in the first half. It sounds like you're going to have some decent volumes in the second half, but pricing still seems to be a little stagnant. What do you think it would take to get cement pricing moving up stronger than what we're seeing today across the industry? Jim Mintern: Yes, Keith, I think, again, in terms of cement, I'm very happy with the volume performance, right, and up 3%, I think, in a market, which is probably more flat from that perspective. And that what's seen there is just really increasing some of our own self-supply from maybe some of the more recent acquisitions over the last number of years, exercising the kind of executing rather on the kind of synergy targets and pulling that volume through. So a really good volume performance. We're stepping off 2 good years of pricing, up 8%, I think, in '24, positive in '25, slightly down this year, but overall, over the kind of 2-year period, good price progression. Interesting, I suppose in the H1, it's kind of slightly down at minus 1%, but yet good margin expansion in that business, right, in the cement business in H1, right? So good -- really good performance coming through in terms of volume and efficiency. I think going back to the first question, I think what will certainly help us, it is going to be a recovery on the res side as well. Obviously, if concrete starts to move up, and that will certainly support cement pricing, too. Again, from our perspective, what we're really pleased with, if you look at kind of the mix adjusted, including the Eco Business, we had good positive pricing in the quarter and in the half. So really good strong performance on across the U.S. cementitious business in total for the first half and the second quarter of the year. Shane Carberry: Well done again on a strong second quarter. My question is just really on the kind of data center theme. Jim, you've given us some good statistics on this before with regards to kind of CRH proximities to data centers under construction. Could we get a bit of an update on that, please? And just to help us in terms of kind of exposure to that segment? And then maybe just more broadly on the data center theme. Obviously, the hyperscalers have been pretty positive in terms of their CapEx plan. How do we think about CRH plugging into that from a future growth point of view? Jim Mintern: Shane, yes, I kind of called it out in the opening remarks. We have seen a notable step-up in activity in the space in '26, kind of stepping off '25. And I certainly think we're in the early phase of a generation of capital investment across the whole of the U.S., right? Now that's not just data centers, right? That's advanced manufacturing into microchip plants, into LNG plants. And we're seeing that. And maybe not too surprising, obviously, '25 with the new administration and very much promoting the kind of onshoring, reshoring, it takes time for permitting and planning to come through, and we're seeing that. Randy touched on it in terms of the increased share of that kind of private reindustrialization in our overall backlogs. Now we're active right now on 200 data centers across the U.S. Now these are multiyear projects. For us, that kind of run from typically 2 to 3 years. And with 2,000 locations across the whole of the U.S. I think you called it out, we're within 25 miles of 85% of all the data centers that have been announced in the U.S. are within 25 miles of one of our CRH facilities. Now this is something we recognized, I would say, a couple of years ago, and we put dedicated sales teams in place, right, to with specific knowledge in this space and are not just dealing with the kind of GC, but we're actually dealing directly with the actual data site users, the hyperscalers, working with them, right, in terms of designing, in terms of helping them specify the products and materials because each of them have different requests and in terms of the kind of materials they're looking to use in these particular facilities. So working with them at an early stage. And if you're building a data center as a user and GC, what matters is clearly speed and quality. And that's what you're going to get with CRH given the 2,000 locations, given the connected nature of the portfolio. Now kind of on that, we're not just delivering a single product, right? If you think about it, we are often the very first person on the site. It's a good example, actually. We just secured a big one in East Texas, right? To put it in context, right, this particular facility, the data site, the footprint of it alone, not the total site is 85 acres. We're going to deliver 3 million tonnes of aggregates into one particular job, just to give you a sense of the scale. But in terms of that project, we'll be first in, in terms of the lot of the subterranean energy and water infrastructure. Critical for an investment to that scale, you have to stabilize the site. So you're coming in with our cementitious product offering to stabilize the site. And it's only then that we're coming with our aggregates and after that with our concrete. And then we come with our asphalt and paving in terms of paving all the access roads and indeed the car parks at the end. So these are huge projects that can extend for 2, 3 years, and we're beginning to see that come through in terms of activity levels and backlogs in 2026. And I think from our perspective, it's the beauty of the connected portfolio. And really, it's difficult for anyone to match what we can do in terms of that complete product offering and kind of increasing share of wallet with the hyperscalers and the data center users. And put it all together, it's kind of a really meaningful driver of the long-term growth of the business as we look forward. Adrian Huerta: Congrats on the results. And my question has to do with margins, especially in the Americas Material Solutions. There was a very good expansion. And I wanted to understand the reasons for that and the confidence that you have on sustaining that type of margins in the current environment that we are... Jim Mintern: Adrian, it was a bit difficult to hear you, but I think it was around the margin performance and around the AMS in Q2 and H1. Yes, really pleased, right, in terms of the performance of the AMS business. And I think if you were to call it a standout in the quarter and the half, it was really the Americas Materials business, a really strong performance and a really strong relative performance, I think if you look across the sector with another quarter of margin expansion despite what I said was very significant weather disruption in kind of second half of May into June in some of our bigger states and that inflationary backdrop. And I think, again, it actually reminds me of some of the conversations we had back in '23, right? It strikes the heart of the strategy. And that connected portfolio, which brings the consistency, the predictability and the reliability to that kind of core Americas Materials business. When you look at it having, I got 2,000 locations, right? And not just locations, but leading market positions. Over 200 leading brands at a regional level across U.S., the connected nature of the portfolio, right, and then the relentless focus on performance, whether that's operational excellence, commercial excellence back into procurement excellence month after month, which feeds into the quarter and the half year performance. It's all of that coming to way -- coming together rather. And that's what the CRH winning way is, right? We set it out in the Investor Day. It's really kind of an affirmation of that and what sets the business apart. And ultimately, what drives our growth and the consistency of performance in what was a challenging first 6 months of the year. We exit '25, it was -- I think it was our 12th consecutive year of margin expansion, and we expect this year to be our 13th consecutive year of margin expansion. I think there's very few companies in any industry can deliver that kind of performance and consistency and predictability over time, right? I think in the context of that, I mean, I called it out, it is the kind of CRH winning way. It's that coming together across the connected portfolio. But a key part of that is kind of the go-to-market strategy. And Randy, would you maybe give us a bit of flavor as to how we think about that and how we, I guess, present ourselves at a customer-facing level? Randy Lake: Yes, maybe 2 ways in particular. When you think about, certainly, we're going to be best-in-class in each of our operating businesses and engage with our customers in a very targeted way. But what we've done over the last several years is build out what we call market teams. So in 30-plus markets across the U.S., the critical MSAs in which we participate in Salt Lake City, Dallas, Tampa, Austin, markets like that, where we're bringing the full capabilities of CRH to engage with the customers that Jim called out. Those who have national presence or regional presence where they value from an early onset in terms of project design to execution, kind of the consistency and high-level performance we bring. And so we've done something unique in terms of each one of those markets bringing our teams and capabilities together. I think also when you look at it, kind of verticals that are important in terms of supported by megatrends. So in and around data centers, airports, nuclear energy or the whole energy transition building teams with specific levels of expertise in each one of those areas. So they get in early, talk with the hyperscalers of the world from a design and specification standpoint to allow us to bring the full armament of CRH to those projects early and then all the way through execution. So we've uniquely changed kind of how we go to market in these critical areas. I think it's making a meaningful difference in our performance, but also the outlook for the business. Jim Mintern: Thanks, everyone. That's all we have time for today, and thank you for your attention. And as always, if you have any follow-up questions, please feel free to contact our Investor Relations team. We look forward to updating you again in October when we will report our results for the third quarter of 2026. Thank you. Have a good day, and stay safe. Operator: Thank you. Your conference call has now ended, and you may now disconnect. Before you buy stock in Crh Plc, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Crh Plc wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $397,405!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,344,091!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 953% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 214% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 7, 2026. This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. CRH (CRH) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript was originally published by The Motley Fool

Innodata Inc. INOD reported exceptional second-quarter 2026 results, with earnings and revenues topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate and growing year over year.The company continued to benefit from strong demand for data engineering services supporting advanced artificial intelligence systems. Customer diversification improved meaningfully, while a favorable business mix drove further margin expansion. Following the results, the company’s shares gained around 14.6% in the after-hour trading session yesterday. The gain likely reflected the solid earnings and revenue beat, record profitability and continued confidence in the 2026 growth outlook. Quarterly earnings were 41 cents per share, up 105% year over year. The figure surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 21 cents by 95.2%. Innodata Inc price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Innodata Inc Quote Revenues climbed 58% to $92.14 million year over year and beat the consensus estimate of $86.32 million by 7%. The quarter marked Innodata’s 12th consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth.Customer diversification also improved significantly. Innodata’s largest customer accounted for 37% of second-quarter revenues, down from 56% in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Big Tech customer announced in the prior quarter increased to 34% of revenues from 17%. Adjusted gross profit reached $45.38 million, up 81.2% from $25.05 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted gross margin expanded to 49% from 43%, standing 9 percentage points above the company’s publicly stated 40% target.The margin expansion was driven by a favorable revenue mix, including off-the-shelf datasets, where Innodata retains intellectual property and can monetize the same assets across multiple customers, as well as high-value pre-training programs.Adjusted EBITDA was $25.36 million, or 27.5% of revenues, compared with $13.23 million in the prior-year quarter. The 91.6% increase in adjusted EBITDA outpaced revenue growth, reflecting meaningful operating leverage.Selling and administrative expenses rose to $26.60 million from $14.11 million. Even with the higher cost base, income before taxes increased to $17.56 million from $9.49 million, while net income nearly doubled to $14.41 million from $7.22 million. Cash provided by operating activities totaled $164.44 million for the first six months of 2026, sharply higher than $14.99 million in the year-ago period. Capital expenditures were $5.31 million, while the company invested $10.08 million in short-term investments.Cash and cash equivalents increased to $240.28 million at June 30, 2026, from $82.22 million at the end of 2025. Including short-term investments, cash and investments totaled $250.4 million.The quarter-end cash balance included customer prepayments related to pass-through costs. Excluding these prepayments, management stated that cash was approximately $134 million, providing the company with substantial liquidity to support continued investments in growth initiatives. Management reiterated its full-year 2026 revenue growth forecast of 40% or more year over year. The outlook reflects continued momentum across existing customer programs and a broadening customer base.Importantly, management said several large potential programs from new and anticipated customers that it considers likely wins are not included in the 40% growth forecast. Once the scope and timing of these programs are finalized, the company plans to incorporate them and update guidance accordingly. Innodata added an important new customer during the quarter, described by management as one of the fastest-scaling frontier labs. The company also expanded programs in agentic reinforcement learning, including work involving personalization of long-horizon agents and reinforcement-learning environments for computer-use agentic tasks.The company released two public AI benchmarks and the first stage of its AI Cyber Training Suite, consisting of 12 datasets and evaluation systems designed to train coding agents to write secure code and repair vulnerabilities.Innodata also completed successful egocentric data-collection pilots with leading robotics companies and is moving from individual pilots toward enterprise-scale multimodal programs. These initiatives broaden the company’s exposure across the AI development lifecycle and support management’s focus on research-led growth. Innodata currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MLM reported outstanding second-quarter 2026 results, wherein adjusted earnings (from continuing operations) and revenues topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate and increased year over year.Martin Marietta’s results benefited from strong organic performance and contributions from acquisitions. Aggregates shipments increased 17% to a record 61.6 million tons, supported by infrastructure and heavy nonresidential demand. Heavy nonresidential demand also benefits from data center, power-generation and warehouse construction. Martin Marietta raised its 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $7.2-$7.4 billion, with a midpoint of $7.3 billion.CRH plc CRH reported exceptional second-quarter 2026 financial results with adjusted earnings and total revenues topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate and growing year over year. Positive pricing, favorable demand and acquisition contributions supported the quarterly growth. CRH completed 11 acquisitions during the quarter for $1.1 billion.CRH reaffirmed 2026 net income guidance of $3.9-$4.1 billion, adjusted EBITDA guidance of $8.1-$8.5 billion and earnings guidance of $5.60-$6.05 per share. The company expects public infrastructure spending and reindustrialization activity to support demand, while new-build residential conditions remain subdued.Quanta Services, Inc. PWR reported better-than-expected second-quarter 2026 results, with adjusted earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Quanta’s performance benefited from strong demand for grid, generation and data-center infrastructure, broader self-perform capabilities, efficient resource utilization and solid execution across both segments.Quanta increased its 2026 revenue forecast to $39.3-$39.7 billion, representing a $4.55 billion increase at the midpoint from its prior outlook. Adjusted earnings are now projected to be in the range of $16.45-$16.95 per share, while adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $4.09 billion and $4.21 billion. Free cash flow is forecast to be in the $2-$2.5 billion range. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Innodata Inc (INOD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) : Free Stock Analysis Report CRH PLC (CRH) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Jacobs Solutions Inc.’s J third-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended June 26, 2026) adjusted earnings met the Zacks Consensus Estimate but grew year over year. However, revenues topped the consensus mark and increased from the year-ago quarter’s figure.The quarterly results were driven by strength in the Infrastructure & Advanced Facilities (I&AF) segment because of broad-based growth witnessed across data center, semiconductor, energy & power, transportation and water sectors.Besides, the company is benefiting from rising investment tied to Artificial Intelligence infrastructure. Businesses directly related to the AI build-out represented 11% of adjusted net revenues during the quarter, including data centers, semiconductors, energy and power, water and digital services. J stock tumbled 2.4% during yesterday’s after-hours trading session, despite management’s approach of raising fiscal 2026 expectations. Jacobs reported adjusted earnings of $1.84 per share for the third quarter of fiscal 2026, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but up 13.6% from $1.62 in the year-ago quarter.Gross revenues of $4.08 billion surpassed the consensus mark of $3.54 billion by 15.1% and rose 34.5% year over year. Adjusted net revenues, which exclude low-margin pass-through revenues, increased 8.3% year over year to $2.42 billion. Backlog climbed 27.3% to a record $28.89 billion. Jacobs Solutions Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Jacobs Solutions Inc. Quote Adjusted operating profit increased 10.8% to $341.8 million year over year, while the corresponding margin improved 30 basis points (bps) to 14.1%. Adjusted EBITDA advanced 16.7% to $366.8 million, and the margin expanded 110 bps to 15.2%. I&AF segment’s revenues surged 38.8% year over year to $3.75 billion. Adjusted net revenues advanced 9.9% to $2.09 billion, reflecting entirely organic growth. Segment operating profit rose 13.6% to $268.1 million. The operating margin expanded 40 bps to 12.8%, indicating that stronger volumes and execution translated into improved profitability despite an evolving revenue mix.Life Sciences & Advanced Manufacturing delivered the strongest top-line growth. Gross revenues jumped 116.6% to $1.63 billion, while adjusted net revenues rose 24.2% to $476 million, led by data center and semiconductor activity.Critical Infrastructure gross revenues increased 7.2% to $1.23 billion, with adjusted net revenues up 9.4% to $1.01 billion. Water & Environmental gross revenues grew 10.8% to $889 million, although adjusted net revenue growth was limited to 1.5% as environmental activity offset solid water demand. PA Consulting generated revenues of $329.5 million, down about 1% from the year-ago quarter. However, operating profit increased 1.7% to $73.6 million and the operating margin expanded 50 bps to 22.3% year over year.PA Consulting backlog reached $459 million, up 9.3% year over year, supporting management’s confidence in the segment’s opportunity pipeline following the acquisition of the remaining ownership stake. Jacobs generated $456.1 million in reported operating cash flow and spent $25.1 million on capital expenditures. Adjusted free cash flow, excluding accelerated employee-related payments connected with the PA Consulting transaction, totaled $541 million. The company ended the quarter with $1.17 billion in cash and cash equivalents and $3.58 billion in long-term debt. Net leverage declined to 1.8 times adjusted EBITDA, falling below the fiscal year-end target ahead of schedule.Jacobs repurchased $142 million of shares during the quarter, bringing fiscal year-to-date buybacks to $614 million. It also declared a quarterly dividend of 36 cents per share, representing a 12.5% year-over-year increase. Management raised the midpoint of its fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings outlook for the third consecutive quarter. Adjusted earnings are now expected between $7.20 and $7.30 per share, compared with the previous range of $7.10-$7.35.Adjusted net revenue growth is projected at 9.5-10%, up from the prior 8-10.5% range. The adjusted EBITDA margin is expected between 14.7% and 14.8% (compared with 14.6-14.9% expected earlier), while the adjusted free cash flow margin is forecast at approximately 8%.The outlook reflects strong execution, record backlog and continued private-sector and utility capital spending. Jacobs also expects an extra week in the fourth quarter to benefit adjusted net revenue growth. Jacobs currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MLM reported outstanding second-quarter 2026 results, wherein adjusted earnings (from continuing operations) and revenues topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate and increased year over year.Martin Marietta’s results benefited from strong organic performance and contributions from acquisitions. Aggregates shipments increased 17% to a record 61.6 million tons, supported by infrastructure and heavy nonresidential demand. Heavy nonresidential demand also benefits from data center, power-generation and warehouse construction. Martin Marietta raised its 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $7.2-$7.4 billion, with a midpoint of $7.3 billion.CRH plc CRH reported exceptional second-quarter 2026 financial results with adjusted earnings and total revenues topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate and growing year over year. Positive pricing, favorable demand and acquisition contributions supported the quarterly growth. CRH completed 11 acquisitions during the quarter for $1.1 billion.CRH reaffirmed 2026 net income guidance of $3.9-$4.1 billion, adjusted EBITDA guidance of $8.1-$8.5 billion and earnings guidance of $5.60-$6.05 per share. The company expects public infrastructure spending and reindustrialization activity to support demand, while new-build residential conditions remain subdued.Quanta Services, Inc. PWR reported better-than-expected second-quarter 2026 results, with adjusted earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Quanta’s performance benefited from strong demand for grid, generation and data-center infrastructure, broader self-perform capabilities, efficient resource utilization and solid execution across both segments.Quanta increased its 2026 revenue forecast to $39.3-$39.7 billion, representing a $4.55 billion increase at the midpoint from its prior outlook. Adjusted earnings are now projected to be in the range of $16.45-$16.95 per share, while adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $4.09 billion and $4.21 billion. Free cash flow is forecast to be in the $2-$2.5 billion range. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Jacobs Solutions Inc. (J) : Free Stock Analysis Report Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) : Free Stock Analysis Report CRH PLC (CRH) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Find your next quality investment with Simply Wall St's easy and powerful screener, trusted by over 7 million individual investors worldwide. CRH (NYSE:CRH) has drawn fresh attention after reporting second quarter 2026 results, reaffirming full year earnings guidance, lifting its quarterly dividend and providing an update on ongoing share repurchase activity. The company reported second quarter revenue of US$10,777 million compared with US$10,206 million a year earlier. Net income was US$1,486 million versus US$1,319 million, with basic earnings per share from continuing operations at US$2.22 compared with US$1.95. For the first six months of 2026, CRH reported revenue of US$18,147 million compared with US$16,962 million in the prior year period. Net income was US$1,310 million versus US$1,225 million, while basic earnings per share from continuing operations was US$1.94 compared with US$1.79. See our latest analysis for CRH. CRH shares trade at US$98.59 after a 1 day share price gain of 3.77%, although the stock is down 22.03% year to date, while the 5 year total shareholder return of 114.31% points to a much stronger long term result. Recent earnings, the 5% dividend increase and ongoing buybacks, alongside the planned US$8.5b Arcosa acquisition, appear to be shaping how investors weigh CRH's growth prospects against current risks. If you are reassessing construction and infrastructure exposure after CRH's update, it may be a good time to look across the sector and check out 36 power grid technology and infrastructure stocks For CRH, a 1 day bounce and a weaker year to date chart tell very different stories. Is the current share price closer to a fair reflection of the business, or is it the result of a swing in sentiment that has led to mispricing? CRH's most followed valuation narrative puts fair value at about $140 per share compared with the last close at $98.59, which frames the current discount analysts are debating. Read the complete narrative. Read the complete narrative. Want to see what sits behind that projected runway for CRH? The narrative connects infrastructure spending, higher margins and a richer future earnings multiple into one valuation story. Analysts contributing to this narrative build their fair value using projected revenue changes, profit margin assumptions, expectations for future earnings and a specific discount rate of 9.12% to bring those forecasts back to today's dollars. The result is a fair value estimate of about $140 per share, implying a sizeable gap to the current share price that investors can compare with their own expectations for CRH's earnings power and capital allocation. Result: Fair Value of $140 (UNDERVALUED) Have a read of the narrative in full and understand what's behind the forecasts. However, CRH's reliance on publicly funded infrastructure and its large Arcosa and Eco Material deals means any funding shifts or integration setbacks could quickly challenge that upbeat narrative. Find out about the key risks to this CRH narrative. The analyst narrative suggests CRH could be undervalued, with fair value around $140 per share. Our DCF model instead points to a value of about $96.29, slightly below the current $98.59 share price. That leans toward a full valuation. Which set of assumptions do you find more realistic for the next few years? To see how this discounted cash flow view is built, including the key inputs and sensitivities, take a closer look at the SWS DCF model Look into how the SWS DCF model arrives at its fair value. Simply Wall St performs a discounted cash flow (DCF) on every stock in the world every day (check out CRH for example). We show the entire calculation in full. You can track the result in your watchlist or portfolio and be alerted when this changes, or use our stock screener to discover 53 high quality undervalued stocks. If you save a screener we even alert you when new companies match - so you never miss a potential opportunity. Does the mix of optimism and concern around CRH match your own view, or does it feel off? Take a closer look at both sides of the story with 5 key rewards and 1 important warning sign If CRH's latest update has you thinking more broadly about your portfolio, this can be a moment to scan for other stocks that fit your preferred style. Target resilient balance sheets and steady fundamentals with the solid balance sheet and fundamentals stocks screener (46 results). Hunt for potential mispricing by scanning the 53 high quality undervalued stocks. Aim to get ahead of the crowd by checking the screener containing 18 high quality undiscovered gems. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include CRH. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email [email protected]

EMCOR Group, Inc. EME reported exceptional second-quarter 2026 financial results with earnings and revenues surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate and growing year over year.The quarterly performance was mainly driven by disciplined project execution, favorable project mix and solid demand in key end markets, resulting in elevated contributions from its four reportable segments - U.S. Electrical Construction and Facilities Services, U.S. Mechanical Construction and Facilities Services, U.S. Building Services and U.S. Industrial Services.(read more: EME Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates on Broad-Based Growth, Stock Up) EMCOR exited the second quarter with record remaining performance obligations (RPOs) of $17.14 billion, representing a 43.9% year-over-year increase and 29.3% from year-end 2025. The construction segments accounted for most of the balance, with $9.31 billion in mechanical construction and $6.33 billion in electrical construction. The backlog expansion was broad-based, with particularly strong growth across network & communications, water & wastewater, healthcare and institutional markets.According to management, investments in AI infrastructure and digital transformation are generating unprecedented activity within the network & communications market, where demand for mission-critical facilities remains exceptionally strong. EME also continues to benefit from its ability to secure large-scale, complex projects across multiple customers, geographies and skilled trades, reflecting disciplined bidding and execution capabilities. EMCOR Group, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | EMCOR Group, Inc. Quote Importantly, the record RPOs provide significant revenue visibility heading into the second half of 2026 and beyond. Management believes the diverse backlog, combined with sustained customer investments in AI-driven infrastructure and essential public projects, positions EMCOR to continue converting project awards into profitable growth while maintaining pricing discipline and operational excellence across its construction platforms. EMCOR significantly strengthened its long-term competitive positioning through an active acquisition strategy during the second quarter. The company completed or signed definitive agreements for five electrical contracting businesses — B&B Electric, Sidney Electric, Giles Electric, Schmidt Electric and Connelly Electric — which together generated approximately $625 million in trailing 12-month revenues and $105 million in EBITDA. The acquisitions expand EMCOR's footprint across Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, Texas and Illinois, and deepen capabilities in high-tech manufacturing, healthcare, institutional, manufacturing & industrial, and network & communications markets.Management emphasized that beyond expanding local market presence, these companies can be integrated into EMCOR's broader customer network and increasingly deployed on higher-value data center projects, particularly in fast-growing markets such as Austin, Central Texas, Daytona Beach and the Chicago suburbs. The company expects these acquisitions to contribute $250-$275 million in revenues during the second half of 2026.EMCOR also highlighted that its acquisition strategy focuses on generating long-term revenue synergies rather than simply extracting cost savings, creating a compounding growth platform that enhances technical expertise, customer relationships and geographic diversification. Beyond AI infrastructure, EMCOR continues to benefit from healthy demand across a wide range of resilient end markets, reducing its reliance on any single customer or industry. Management highlighted continued strength in water & wastewater, high-tech manufacturing, healthcare, institutional, manufacturing and industrial, alongside robust demand for fire life safety services. EME also noted improving activity in warehousing, distribution and logistics projects, while HVAC retrofit work, building controls modernization, indoor air quality (IAQ) upgrades and energy-efficiency projects continue to generate meaningful aftermarket opportunities.To support this expanding project pipeline, EMCOR is investing heavily in workforce training and development, prefabrication capabilities, Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) and advanced project delivery methods that improve labor productivity and execution quality. Although management acknowledged ongoing macro uncertainties, including tariffs, supply-chain disruptions, commodity price volatility, elevated interest rates and geopolitical risks, it expressed confidence in the company's ability to navigate these challenges through disciplined project selection, pricing and operational execution.Supported by these favorable demand trends, operational investments and record project visibility, EMCOR raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $20-$20.5 billion from $18.5-$19.25 billion previously while increasing its EPS outlook to $32-$33.25 (from $28.25-$29.75 expected earlier). Combined with its diversified market exposure and balanced capital allocation strategy, these operational investments position EMCOR to capitalize on long-term infrastructure spending and sustain profitable growth across multiple economic cycles. EMCOR currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MLM reported outstanding second-quarter 2026 results, wherein adjusted earnings (from continuing operations) and revenues topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate and increased year over year.Martin Marietta’s results benefited from strong organic performance and acquisition contributions. Aggregates shipments increased 17% to a record 61.6 million tons, supported by infrastructure and heavy nonresidential demand. Heavy nonresidential demand also benefits from data center, power-generation and warehouse construction. Martin Marietta raised its 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $7.2-$7.4 billion, with a midpoint of $7.3 billion.CRH plc CRH reported exceptional second-quarter 2026 financial results with adjusted earnings and total revenues topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate and growing year over year. Positive pricing, favorable demand and acquisition contributions supported the quarterly growth. CRH completed 11 acquisitions during the quarter for $1.1 billion.CRH reaffirmed 2026 net income guidance of $3.9-$4.1 billion, adjusted EBITDA guidance of $8.1-$8.5 billion and earnings guidance of $5.60-$6.05 per share. The company expects public infrastructure spending and reindustrialization activity to support demand, while new-build residential conditions remain subdued.Quanta Services, Inc. PWR reported better-than-expected second-quarter 2026 results, with adjusted earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Quanta’s performance benefited from strong demand for grid, generation and data-center infrastructure, broader self-perform capabilities, efficient resource utilization and solid execution across both segments.Quanta increased its 2026 revenue forecast to $39.3-$39.7 billion, representing a $4.55 billion increase at the midpoint from its prior outlook. Adjusted earnings are now projected to be in the range of $16.45-$16.95 per share, while adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $4.09 billion and $4.21 billion. Free cash flow is forecasted to be in the $2-$2.5 billion range. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME) : Free Stock Analysis Report Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) : Free Stock Analysis Report CRH PLC (CRH) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Interested in Crh Plc? Here are five stocks we like better. Record Q2 performance: CRH’s revenue rose 6% year over year to $10.8 billion, adjusted EBITDA increased 7% to more than $2.6 billion, margins expanded, and diluted EPS climbed 14%. The company cited resilient infrastructure demand, pricing, acquisitions and cost discipline despite weather and inflationary pressures. Materials and infrastructure drove growth: Americas Materials Solutions delivered 10% revenue growth and 12% adjusted EBITDA growth, while International Solutions also posted higher revenue, EBITDA and margins. Americas Building Solutions underperformed due to divestitures, weak U.S. new construction and elevated haulage costs. Expansion and outlook remain intact: CRH reaffirmed its 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $8.1 billion to $8.5 billion and expects continued margin expansion. The planned $8.5 billion Arcosa acquisition would add aggregate capacity and is expected to generate approximately $175 million in annual cost synergies by year three, though share repurchases will be paused while the deal proceeds. 3 Surging Stocks Just Got the Ultimate Stamp of Approval From the S&P 500 CRH (NYSE:CRH) reported record second-quarter results for 2026, with revenue, adjusted EBITDA, margins and diluted earnings per share rising from the prior-year period. The building materials company reaffirmed its full-year guidance, citing resilient infrastructure demand, pricing momentum and contributions from acquisitions despite weather disruptions, inflationary costs and macroeconomic uncertainty. Second-quarter revenue totaled $10.8 billion, up 6% year over year, while adjusted EBITDA increased 7% to more than $2.6 billion. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded 30 basis points as the company emphasized commercial execution and cost discipline. Diluted EPS rose 14%, including a $0.16 net gain on divestitures during the period. → Why SK hynix Could Be the Best AI Chip Stock to Buy Now Should You Bring The Luck Of The Irish To Your Investmets? Chief Executive Officer Jim Mintern said the results reflected “favorable underlying demand, disciplined commercial execution, and contributions from acquisitions.” He said CRH was maintaining its focus on portfolio management and investments in its aggregates, cementitious materials, roads and water businesses. Americas Materials Solutions delivered the strongest operating performance among CRH’s business segments. Revenue rose 10% and adjusted EBITDA increased 12% from the prior year, supported by underlying demand, pricing and acquired businesses. Segment margins expanded 40 basis points despite inflationary costs. → Microsoft Just Flipped the AI Spending Narrative Overnight Within Essential Materials, revenue increased 20%. Aggregates volume grew 2% and pricing rose 5%, while cement volume declined 2% because of adverse weather in certain markets. Cement pricing fell 1%, reflecting regional differences across the company’s operating footprint. Chief Operating Officer Randy Lake said Eco Material, an acquired supplier of supplementary cementitious materials, was performing well. Road Solutions revenue increased 6%, driven by higher asphalt volumes and prices and increased paving activity. Lake said bidding activity and backlog trends remained positive, with transportation and water infrastructure supported by state and federal funding. He also cited major manufacturing and data-center projects as contributors to reindustrialization demand. → Carrier Earnings Could Send the Stock to a New All-Time High Americas Building Solutions faced a more difficult quarter. Revenue declined 2% and adjusted EBITDA fell 8%, reflecting recently completed divestitures, subdued U.S. new-build residential activity and elevated haulage rates. Mintern said residential repair and remodel demand remained resilient, while the company saw growth in data center, water and energy markets. CRH has implemented price surcharges and cost-reduction measures to offset higher haulage costs, Mintern said. He expects the impact of those costs to moderate in the third and fourth quarters. International Solutions revenue rose 5%, while adjusted EBITDA grew 8% and margins expanded 70 basis points. The company attributed the performance to increased activity in some markets, pricing, cost control and acquisitions. CRH cited favorable infrastructure and reindustrialization activity in Europe, as well as demand, operational improvements and acquisition synergies in Australia. CRH said it invested $1.4 billion in 17 acquisitions year to date and completed three divestitures of non-core businesses for $1.9 billion in total consideration. The largest acquisition completed during the period was Axius Water, purchased for approximately $700 million. In June, CRH agreed to acquire Arcosa for $150 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of approximately $8.5 billion. The transaction remains subject to Arcosa shareholder approval, regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, with closing expected in the first quarter of 2027. Mintern said the acquisition would add 35 million tons of annual high-quality aggregates capacity and strengthen CRH’s U.S. aggregates position. The company expects approximately $175 million in run-rate cost synergies by the third year of ownership, including $60 million in the first year, according to Lake. Identified opportunities include operational improvements, materials self-supply, procurement and administrative efficiencies. Management also pointed to the deal’s presence in Dallas and Phoenix, which Mintern described as high-growth geographic areas where CRH already has other parts of its connected portfolio. The company said the Arcosa business also includes engineered structures serving energy transmission markets. Through the second quarter, CRH invested about $800 million in growth capital expenditures, including projects aimed at expanding capacity, improving efficiency, increasing automation and optimizing energy use. It returned $1.2 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks year to date. The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.39 per share, up 5% from a year earlier. CRH said it will pause share repurchases following the completion of its latest tranche in connection with the Arcosa agreement and will reassess the program later. CRH reaffirmed its 2026 outlook, assuming normal seasonal weather for the rest of the year and no additional major geopolitical or macroeconomic disruption. The company expects: Adjusted EBITDA of $8.1 billion to $8.5 billion. Net income of $3.9 billion to $4.1 billion. Diluted EPS of $5.60 to $6.05. Mintern said CRH expects approximately 40% of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to remain unspent at year-end. Lake said CRH does not expect disruptions to infrastructure activity through the rest of 2026 or into 2027, even if federal funding legislation proceeds through a continuing resolution. Management said it is seeing a meaningful increase in reindustrialization activity, including data centers, advanced manufacturing, semiconductor facilities and liquefied natural gas projects. Mintern said CRH is active on 200 data-center projects across the U.S. and has facilities within 25 miles of 85% of announced U.S. data centers. The company expects another year of margin expansion, which Mintern said would mark its 13th consecutive year of margin improvement. CRH also reiterated long-term 2030 targets of annual revenue growth of 7% to 9%, adjusted EBITDA margin of 22% to 24%, and average adjusted free-cash-flow conversion above 100%. CRH plc, originally formed as Cement Roadstone Holdings in 1970 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a global building materials group. The company has grown from its Irish roots into one of the largest international suppliers of construction materials, expanding primarily through acquisitions and regional business development. CRH operates an integrated network of manufacturing and distribution businesses that serve both public and private construction markets. CRH's core activities include the production and distribution of aggregates, cement, asphalt, ready-mixed concrete and other bulk materials, together with a broad range of value-added building products such as precast concrete, masonry, bricks, roofing products, pipe and drainage systems, and construction accessories. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "CRH Q2 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for July 2026.

Weyerhaeuser Company WY reported better-than-expected second-quarter 2026 financial results with adjusted earnings and net sales topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Year over year, the bottom line grew while the top line declined.The quarterly results reflect weakness in Timberlands and Strategic Land Solutions outweighing growth in parts of Wood Products. Adjusted EBITDA was $310 million compared with $336 million a year ago. The second-quarter adjusted earnings were 13 cents per share, up 8.3% year over year and topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of six cents by 116.7%.Net sales of $1.87 billion inched down 0.9% from the prior-year quarter but beat the consensus mark of $1.80 billion by 4%.Gross margin was $311 million, down from $325 million in the year-ago quarter. Selling expenses increased to $24 million from $23 million, while general and administrative expenses rose to $115 million from $114 million. Operating income advanced to $223 million from $178 million. The latest quarter included a $71 million pretax gain from the sale of Oregon timberlands. Weyerhaeuser Company price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Weyerhaeuser Company Quote Wood Products net sales reached $1.36 billion, up $196 million sequentially. Operating income increased to $71 million from $42 million, while adjusted EBITDA climbed to $129 million from $71 million. The segment’s adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 9% from 6%.Lumber was the primary driver, with adjusted EBITDA rising to $73 million from $27 million. Lumber realizations increased 15% sequentially and volumes were moderately higher. Engineered Wood Products adjusted EBITDA improved to $54 million from $39 million, supported by higher volumes and realizations. However, Oriented Strand Board posted a $6 million adjusted EBITDA loss due to higher manufacturing, maintenance and resin costs. Timberlands generated total net sales of $518 million, down 2.1% year over year. Net contribution to earnings increased to $130 million from $88 million, aided by the timberland sale. Adjusted EBITDA declined to $123 million from $152 million.In the West, fee harvest volumes were slightly higher sequentially due to seasonally favorable operating conditions. Domestic log sales volumes and realizations improved, but elevated fuel, freight, forestry and road costs pressured results. Southern fee harvest volumes were comparable sequentially, while realizations improved slightly due to mix. Strategic Land Solutions recorded net sales of $140 million, down 9.1% year over year. Operating income fell to $94 million from $106 million, while adjusted EBITDA declined to $129 million from $143 million.Sequentially, results fell sharply because the first quarter included a $94 million conservation easement transaction in the Climate Solutions business. This was partly offset by stronger Real Estate results stemming from the timing and mix of sales. Real Estate adjusted EBITDA increased sequentially to $83 million from $61 million, while Climate Solutions adjusted EBITDA dropped to $13 million from $108 million. Net cash from operations was $399 million, slightly above $396 million in the year-ago quarter and substantially higher than $52 million in the first quarter. Capital expenditures totaled $139 million, including $63 million related to the Monticello engineered wood products facility.WY ended the quarter with $527 million in cash and cash equivalents and total debt of $5.43 billion. The company repurchased $10 million of common stock and paid $152 million in cash dividends during the quarter. For the third quarter of 2026, Timberlands earnings before special items and adjusted EBITDA are expected to be slightly higher sequentially. Management anticipates higher harvest volumes and lower per-unit log and haul costs, partly offset by seasonally higher forestry and road expenses.Strategic Land Solutions earnings are projected to decline about $30 million sequentially, while adjusted EBITDA is expected to fall roughly $45 million due to the timing and mix of real estate sales. Full-year segment adjusted EBITDA is now forecast at approximately $450 million, up $25 million from the prior outlook.Wood Products earnings and adjusted EBITDA are expected to be slightly lower, excluding changes in lumber and oriented strand board realizations. Higher lumber and engineered wood product volumes are expected, though moderately higher lumber log costs and increased oriented strand board manufacturing costs may weigh on profitability. Weyerhaeuser currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MLM reported outstanding second-quarter 2026 results, wherein adjusted earnings (from continuing operations) and revenues topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate and increased year over year.Martin Marietta’s results benefited from strong organic performance and acquisition contributions. Aggregates shipments increased 17% to a record 61.6 million tons, supported by infrastructure and heavy nonresidential demand. Heavy nonresidential demand also benefited from data center, power-generation and warehouse construction. Martin Marietta raised its 2026 revenue guidance to a range of $7.2-$7.4 billion, with a midpoint of $7.3 billion.CRH plc CRH reported exceptional second-quarter 2026 financial results with adjusted earnings and total revenues topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate and growing year over year. Positive pricing, favorable demand and acquisition contributions supported the quarterly growth. CRH completed 11 acquisitions during the quarter for $1.1 billion.CRH reaffirmed 2026 net income guidance of $3.9-$4.1 billion, adjusted EBITDA guidance of $8.1-$8.5 billion and earnings guidance of $5.60-$6.05 per share. The company expects public infrastructure spending and reindustrialization activity to support demand, while new-build residential conditions remain subdued.Quanta Services, Inc. PWR reported better-than-expected second-quarter 2026 results, with adjusted earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Quanta’s performance benefited from strong demand for grid, generation and data-center infrastructure, broader self-perform capabilities, efficient resource utilization and solid execution across both segments.Quanta increased its 2026 revenue forecast to $39.3-$39.7 billion, representing a $4.55 billion increase at the midpoint from its prior outlook. Adjusted earnings are now projected to be in the range of $16.45-$16.95 per share, while adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $4.09 billion and $4.21 billion. Free cash flow is forecasted to be in the $2.00-$2.50 billion range. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Weyerhaeuser Company (WY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Quanta Services, Inc. (PWR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (MLM) : Free Stock Analysis Report CRH PLC (CRH) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research